Bristol airport has won clearance to almost double the number of annual passengers it handles.

The clearance came as BAA dropped plans to build new runways at Heathrow and Stansted after opposition by the new coalition government.

The local council approval will allow Bristol Airport to increase passenger numbers from six million to 10 million by 2019-20.

The new plan will be focused around the existing site and will not involve an additional runway or terminal.

It will create more than 3,500 jobs will allow the airport to attract new routes with potential destinations including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Washington, Atlanta, Toronto, Singapore, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Munich, Dusseldorf and Zurich.